One of my absolute favorite Christmas pastimes is sending out holiday cards. Every year, I make a list of people to send cards to, pick out the perfect set, put on a Christmas movie and scribble away. Being a single millennial with no kids puts me in the minority of Christmas card senders, but it’s still something I enjoy doing year after year. I even have an old-fashioned address book that I actually use!

This year, I’ve added one more element to this cozy set up: a maple Manhattan. During my dear friend Vicky’s Friendsgiving party, she shook up a few of these cocktails and I was IN LOVE! I asked her for her recipe and have quickly made this my drink of the season.

As you can see from my nearly-empty bottle of Bulleit bourbon, this has been a highly requested cocktail in my house recently. It’s basically just the same as a Manhattan, but with maple syrup in the place of simple syrup.

If the thought of writing endless notes and waiting in line at the post office with the crowds sets your teeth on edge, that’s ok! You can still have a maple Manhattan without writing Christmas cards. Check out my simple (read: SUPER simple) recipe below, and start to feel festive!